Return From The Waves
by MisterYada
Summary: One year after Konata's disappearance, Kagami is having nightmares, and Tsukasa and Soujirou try to help. Only the return of one otaku can make Kagami feel better. Too bad Konata is not master of her own will anymore. Sequel to Call From The Waves.
1. I Will Return

Author's Notes: I'll keep this short and sweet. This is the sequel to my other Lucky Star supernatural/horror story, _Call From The Waves_. I don't have much else to say besides read and enjoy.

**Return From The Waves**

**Chapter 1: I Will Return**

"_For vast aeons has slept, lurking 'neath the haunted deep_

_sea soaked perversion, arise_

_named of the foulest tongue, his will ebbs within me_

_beckoning- what was shall once more be"_

_-Thy Horror Cosmic, The Black Dahlia Murder_

"Ko- Konata... It can't be..." Kagami whispered mostly to herself as she stood on the moonlit beach. Her short blue-haired friend stood in the surf, though the knee high breakers seemed to have no effect on her. The salty ocean breeze gently whipped around her azure bangs, obscuring her face.

Elation welled up within the tsundere as she moved quickly to meet her long gone friend. Nearly a year now. Nearly a year since she had walked into the ocean, never to be seen again. All the investigations and searches that turned up not even one trace of her. But she had returned, and Kagami had so much to tell her.

The empty casket funeral. The school's ceremony in her memory. Graduation... But all of those paled in comparison to how much she just flat out missed the little otaku. She wanted to hold her, and tell her how sorry she was that she couldn't stop her, even though they both knew she had no chance to.

Konata's arms were outstretched in seeming anticipation of Kagami's embrace. Kagami ran even harder, at a speed that would've made her friend proud. The cool feel of sand shifting under her feet gave way to the biting cold water as she ran into the open ocean. The wind began to die down, and Kagami stopped dead still in her tracks.

Those eyes. Those damn eyes that reminded Kagami every time that she was not part of this world anymore. Blank orbs of pure white, as if chiseled out of marble, gazed at Kagami from the eye sockets of what used to be her friend. A cruel imitation of a smile was drawn across her now seemingly inhuman face.

"I will return, Kagamin. I will come for you." It wasn't Konata that was speaking the words. Kagami could watch as her lips moved, but the voice. She almost thought it could be...

_It's in my head!_ Kagami realized with a shock. She tried to turn around and run so she could leave this sick reminder of her failure behind, but was stopped when something large and shadowy emerged from the black sea. It quickly took a hold of her, wrapping around her body before pulling her into the depths.

She tried her best to struggle and escape. Her legs kicked furiously, but had no effect. Its hold was just too tight. As her vision faded and she started to lose consciousness, she could hear demonic laughter echoing in her skull.

~o0o~

A gentle touch on her shoulder surprised Kagami and made her to bolt up into a sitting position. Her skin felt clammy, a cold sweat causing her pajamas to stick uncomfortably, and her heart was pounding so hard it threatened to beat right out of her chest. Her long lilac hair whipped about as she quickly checked her surroundings.

No dark ocean. No sandy beach. Just her room, and one scared looking Tsukasa.

"What's wrong," Kagami asked her startled twin. Tsukasa was visibly trembling, and it made her feel bad.

"You... You were yelling in your sleep. I came in to wake you up," was Tsukasa's meek reply. "Were you... Did you see _her_ again?"

"Wha... How could you tell," Kagami asked.

"Because you're crying."

Kagami brought her fingers to her face. Indeed Tsukasa was right. A slick trail of warm tears ran down each cheek. Kagami closed her eyes and nodded.

"That's the third time this week, onee-chan. Don't you think you should see someone about this?" Tsukasa placed a hand on her sister's shoulder and squeezed it to try and help her calm down. Kagami's own hand came up and joined hers before sighing.

"No. I already had to see too many people during the searches. Remember?" Kagami laughed bitterly. "The same diagnosis each time. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The reason no college will take me now. They wouldn't want a psychological time bomb on campus..."

"Couldn't you just take online classes then?" Tsukasa tried to reason as Kagami got off of her bed. Kagami's hair waved back and forth as she shook her head.

"Online classes don't offer what I need. Mock trials and internships at law firms; something to give me experience in what I want to do. Case studies can only teach me so much."

"I guess you're right..." Tsukasa said while looking away, not wanting to watch her twin strip.

"Stop worrying so much for me and focus on yourself. You have that great chef's training program to work on. I'm fine working at the family shri..." Kagami's voice trailed off. She had caught a glimpse of her desk calendar and hoped it was wrong. "Tsukasa. What's tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Tsukasa blinked in confusion. Her sister was usually impeccable at keeping dates, especially this one. "It's our birthday tomorrow. How could you forget that?"

Kagami went quiet and finished pulling on her shirt and pants. When she walked away from her desk, Tsukasa quickly understood. In a black bordered picture frame was the image of their missing friend, Konata. She was winking while holding up the V-for-victory sign. On the top border of the frame was writing in silver marker:

_'Gone in body, but here in spirit. 7/7/10'_

Kagami cleared her throat, grabbing Tsukasa's attention when she realized that she was staring at the picture, probably too long. She turned to face her older twin, and was met with the saddest pair of eyes she had ever seen.

"I'm going to open the shop. You should probably get ready for school."

**Later That Day...**

"I'll get it," Yutaka called out when the phone began to ring. Soujirou sat back down in his seat, looking back to the blank text document open on his laptop. He had a deadline soon and was just a chapter short of completing his work, but it felt as though something was mentally blocking him lately.

He began to stretch, rotating his shoulders and rolling his neck. It usually helped when he was in a slump. While doing this, Yutaka poked her head into the room, holding the phone. "It's for you, Uncle."

The man sighed deeply. It was probably his editor, wondering why he had not seen even one page of the chapter yet. He reached out and took the phone from Yutaka after she brought it over to him. "Good afternoon. Izumi speaking."

"H-hello, Izumi-san! It's Tsukasa. Tsukasa Hiiragi." Her tone was nervous. They had only spoken a few times over the course of the year, and she was afraid he had forgotten who she was. She was pleasantly surprised by his cheerful response.

"Ah, Tsukasa! It's been too long. How are you and your sister?" He was glad to have someone to talk to at the moment. When he was working, Yutaka usually just shut herself in her room and talked to her classmates online.

"I'm fine, thank you. Kagami is... Well she's the reason I called. She's been having nightmares, and I think it's because tomorrow..." Tsukasa's voice trailed away. She wasn't sure how to bring up Konata's disappearance. She didn't want to bring down his seemingly excited mood.

Soujirou looked back to his desktop. The mini calendar in the corner highlighted the sixth of July. He quickly realized why the girl had quieted. "She's having nightmares about Konata?"

There was another small pause before Tsukasa spoke again. "Y-yes... Do you think you could talk to her tomorrow? Let her know you don't blame her? I think that would help a lot."

Soujirou smiled into the phone. It was almost moving how caring Tsukasa could be sometimes, even on subjects like this. "I have a better idea. I seem to remember another special event on tomorrow's date. How about you bring her over and we can talk face to face over some cake?"

Tsukasa's gasp could be heard over the phone, making Soujirou chuckle lightly to himself. "A-are you sure? I mean, if you would like to go visit her grave instead, we would understand..."

"Tsukasa," Soujirou interrupted before she could get any further. He looked to his right, where two pictures hung on the wall. One each of Konata and Kanata, both smiling over him. "I don't think Konata would want us to cry over her every year. Especially on her best friends' birthday. Let's celebrate it. In her honor."

**The Other End Of The Line...**

"Yes. That sounds great Izu... Okay. I'll call you Soujirou. Thank you. I'm sure onee-chan will appreciate it as well... Two sounds great. We'll see you then. Bye."

Tsukasa sniffled once she had closed her cell phone. Tears were welling in her eyes as she smiled. Tears of happiness. It took a strong person to think of their daughter's friends' birthday on the day of her disappearance. It made her happy to know there were people like Soujirou in the world.

Calming herself with a deep breath, she stood up from the bench that sat on the sidewalk outside the culinary school. Other students milled about nearby, going their various ways home. She wiped the misty tears away and walked her own path to the train station.

As luck had it, her train pulled into the station just as she made it through the turnstile. She joined the throng of people trying to stuff themselves in the already crowded train car. She looked down after feeling something bump into her in her rush to make it through the doors before they closed. A young girl was standing next to her, possibly a freshman in high school, holding an old copy of _Strawberry Panic._

The girl noticed that Tsukasa was looking and tried to hide it away. "I... It's my brother's," she attempted to explain, but Tsukasa knew better.

"Don't worry. I had a friend that used to read those. I would read them once in a while when I went to her place. Which volume is that?" Tsukasa smiled as she spoke, letting the girl know she was in good company.

For the rest of the ride home Tsukasa listened as as the girl gushed on about the series, occasionally adding a few words herself when parts came up she knew herself. It almost felt like she was talking to _her_ again. Almost.

~o0o~

Kagami's jaw nearly dropped off along with her heartbeat. The twins' parents and older sisters looked a little confused as well. All eyes were on Tsukasa, who suddenly became nervous at the mixture of absolute attention and silence. In a shaken voice, Kagami asked, "Who... Who did you say invited us over _tomorrow_?"

"Soujirou. I talked to him after class today. It was his..."

"Why did you call him, Tsukasa?" Kagami interrupted. She sounded upset that Tsukasa had contacted him. That didn't dissuade the younger twin, though.

"Well, he thought if you came over and had a little fun, it would help with the nightmares." Quiet returned to the room when Tsukasa had finished, but now everyone focused on Kagami. None of them knew about her nightmares seeing as they were all usually gone and out of the house by the time she was screaming bloody murder.

Kagami noticed this and realized what Tsukasa had revealed without meaning to. Her face drained of color quickly. Standing up from the table, she left the room without a word.

Tsukasa stared blankly at the untouched plate of food in front of Kagami's seat. The sounds of eating started up around her, though the meal was devoid of the usual family evening talk. Tsukasa tried her best to eat and swallow past the lump in her throat, but she could only stomach a few bites herself before leaving the table in a similar fashion.

She wandered down the hall to her room, passing Kagami's along the way. The door was ajar and Tsukasa couldn't help but to peek in as she walked by. Her twin sat at her desk with the black framed photo in her hand. Tears rolled down her cheeks while she sobbed softly to herself.

"I'm sorry Konata. I really am..."

~o0o~

Yutaka's pigtailed head poked through the door a few seconds after Kagami had rung the doorbell. The junior smiled at the sight of her graduated senpais and opened the door wider for them.

"Come in! Uncle's been waiting for you," she squeaked in an excited voice. Tsukasa grinned and thanked the salmon-haired girl along with Kagami as they entered the house. Yutaka quickly rushed ahead of them into the living room, giggling. When both girls walked into the living room themselves, they were almost blown back by the resounding, "Surprise!"

Tsukasa was just as shocked as Kagami. Instead of the small personal party she thought it would be, it looked as if Soujirou had fit all of the girls' school friends in his living room. Miyuki, Kuroi, Yui, Minami, Patty, Hiyori, Misao and Ayano were all there, spread around the room.

Everyone was smiling, beaming at the twins. It seemed like the idea of Konata being gone did not put a damper on their moods right then. Soujirou had made this their day, and Tsukasa was grateful for that. The smiles were infectious and soon one was spreading on her face as well.

Quickly everyone gathered around to give them hugs and birthday wishes. They were ushered over to the table and sat down before it. A pile of gifts from seemingly nowhere was placed in front of them. When they all started to calm down a bit, Tsukasa looked around at her friends. She felt lucky to know people like them. "Everyone," she started. "I... I don't know what to say. You all..."

"You're all a bunch of heartless, uncaring people." Everyone looked at Kagami, who was staring intently down at the table.

"Onee-chan! You don't mean that!" Tsukasa hoped with all her heart that she was right in saying that. Hoped that Kagami was just kidding, and that she would crack into a smile soon and tell them all it was a joke. Instead, Kagami slowly shook her head.

"You all are mocking me. It may not seem like it to any of you right now, but you are. All the attention you're giving me... It just tells me you would rather celebrate the one that watched and did nothing while Konata disappeared from our lives instead of taking the time to remember her."

She quickly stood and ran out of the room, pushing Misao aside along the way. Tsukasa tried to get up and follow her, but Soujirou held her back, shaking his head.

"Wow. Something's got Hiiragi in a bad mood," Misao said. Ayano smacked her in the back of the head lightly.

"Misa-chan!"

~o0o~

Tears flowed freely from Kagami, her feet pounding down the hall. She didn't care if she made them feel bad. It was nothing to the guilt she felt. Nothing could fix what was done.

She yanked the door open and tried to run out, but she was pushed back when she ran into someone, falling flat on her rear. She started to yell at the new person who had come to 'celebrate.'

"What? Did you come to make me feel like shit too! Because I..." Kagami chocked up when she finally saw who it was she had ran into.

A short figure crowned with long blue hair sat in the door way. Her ahoage bobbed while she chuckled. One eye winced in pain as she held her elbow, while the other emerald eye was locked on her, sparkling like the gem of its color. Her unmistakable grin plastered on her face. She wore the same pajamas that she left in, though they looked almost brand new.

"So I can't wish you a happy birthday, my Kagamin~?"

**To Be Continued...**

Author's Notes: Once more, I would like to cite my inspirations. First and foremost, H.P. Lovecraft. Without his stories and influences in modern times, I probably would not be as much of a fan of horror as I am now, and maybe half the writer I am.

Second, the death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder and their song _Thy Horror Cosmic. _

Finally, Lucky Star, for having such a loose story and open characters to be able to twist into what I need.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.


	2. Let This Be Real

**Return From The Waves**

**Chapter 2: Let This Be Real**

"_I found you here, now please just stay for a while_

_I can move on with you around_

_I hand you my mortal life_

_But will it be forever?"_

_-Seize The Day, Avenged Sevenfold_

A piercing shriek ripped through the house, bringing the party goers to their senses after the scene Kagami had made. Tsukasa was the first to respond, recognizing her twin's screams in an instant. She pushed the chair over in a scramble to get to the hall and see what had happened. Was Kagami hurt?

Soujirou and Kuroi nearly knocked the younger twin over when she stopped dead in her tracks. In the doorway was a scene that shouldn't have been possible. Almost like an echo from the past that made the grown man behind her sob in recognition.

Kagami was on the ground, tears flowing freely as she buried he face into the chest of a small girl with long, cerulean hair. Konata was patting the crying girl gently as she whispered little things to her that Tsukasa could only recognize as not Japanese. When the twin-tailed girl had settled into a sniffling lull while being rocked by her lost friend, Konata looked up at the trio.

"Was I late for their party or something?"

All three of them were speechless to respond to her question.

~o0o~

"So you're trying to tell me I was gone for a whole year?" Konata's eyes were narrowed in disbelief at the group surrounding her at the table. Kagami was sitting next to her, though what had happened left her unable to talk, her eyes puffy and red from tears. Soujirou, after mustering enough will, answered.

"Y-yes. You disappeared. Kagami said she watched you... walk into the ocean." The tsundere gave a painful whimper at being reminded. As if on instinct, Konata began to pat her head, soothing Kagami once more with the physical fact that she was there.

"I... kind of remember that. I had a ball, and said it shouldn't be here, so I walked out into the water. And then I woke up this morning on the beach. I thought I just passed out in the sand after I got rid of it."

Kuroi shook her head. "We all looked for you the next day. Police looked for you for weeks. You were gone, Konata. You know I wouldn't have been so stupid as to leave you on the beach."

Konata nodded, though she still seemed unable to completely accept the fact that she had been gone so long. Soujirou looked around the room, at all the uneasy faces that didn't know how to respond to this. He heaved a heavy breath. "I think it's about time the party is over. Everyone should go home. I'll take Konata to a clinic for a checkup."

Not one person wanted to argue with his words. Slowly they shuffled out until the only ones remaining in the room were the twins, the teacher, Konata, Soujirou, and Yutaka.

Kuroi sighed, seeing the sorry state Kagami was in. "I'll take you two home. I don't think she's in any shape to drive," she said, addressing Tsukasa.

Tsukasa shook her head. "She can't drive anyway. I'm the one with a license. Thank you for the offer, though." She pat Kagami's shoulder, making the distraught girl look up at her. Kagami sniffled a few times, but seemed to understand it was time to go. She stood up and let Tsukasa silently lead her out, their former homeroom teacher not far behind, closing the door to the Izumi home.

~Three Days Later~

Miki set the phone back on the receiver before looking over to her daughters. Both had pleading eyes, wanting to know what she was told. Kagami's body betrayed her impatience much more though. Her hands were balled up into fists so tightly it made her knuckles nearly bone white, and she was nearly jumping on the spot.

The mother let out a sigh at her. "Konata is perfectly fine. Izumi-san told me that they got a call from the hospital today, and she's almost healthier than before. He also said that Konata requested to see both of you. She wanted to be told about the year from her friends."

"Like, right now?" Tsukasa asked. Miki nodded.

"As soon as you can, is what Izumi-san said."

Kagami had almost instantly figured out why her sister had asked that though, and looked down at the floor. "You... have class soon, don't you?"

"I'm sorry Onee-chan. But you can go now. I can just come by later, I promise." Kagami lit up at this, hugging Tsukasa tightly before running to her room. While she was gone, Miki looked at her youngest.

"That was really nice of you dear. But, why?"

The girl smiled. "As much as I would like to see Kona-chan right now, I know Onee-chan _needs_ to. If I don't go, it'll give them time to really talk with each other."

Her mother blinked in surprise. "That's very grown up for you Tsukasa. Where did you learn to be like that?"

Tsukasa looked to the side, smiling, but seemingly sad at the same time. "Right now, I have to be. For Onee-chan..."

The next moment, Kagami ran through the hall, purse thrown over her shoulder and a walking outfit on, made up of tan cargo shorts and a cream colored tank top. She threw her arms around Tsukasa and hugged her tight. "Thank you," she said quickly to her twin before letting go and heading out the door. "I'll see you after class!"

Both Tsukasa and Miki started to chuckle at the renewed energy of their usually stoic and damper Kagami. Tsukasa checked her watch, and realized she didn't have much longer until she had to leave, too. She grabbed her keys and purse and headed out the door. Kagami was nowhere in sight. She had sprinted off to the station the second she made it outside.

~o0o~

Kagami's heart skipped a beat when the front door opened. For a second there seemed to be a flashback, Konata appearing as nothing more to her than a skeleton with skin barely clinging to it. She shook her head immediately, making her long hair whip about wildly. When he looked back up, Konata was there, just like yesterday.

"Um, are you okay Kagamin?" A small hint of concern could be heard. The taller girl sighed in relief.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. What about you? My mom said your tests all came back clear."

"Well, I feel healthy. It's just kind of weird for everyone to tell you you had gone missing for a year and you don't remember it. It's like the plot to some crummy manga," Konata laughed. Referencing stuff only otakus like; yeah, this was the short stack Kagami knew.

The blue haired girl widened the door so her friend could enter.

"Where's Tsukasa?" She asked when Kagami passed her.

"Oh!" Kagami blushed. She had almost completely forgotten her own sister didn't come with her. "S-she has chef's training. She said she'll come by after class."

Konata giggled and covered her mouth, which had morphed into that familiar cat-like grin. "So it's just ol' Kagamin and me, huh?"

"I guess..." Kagami looked a bit sheepish, trying to hide her smile. She had wanted to see Konata so badly, and now knowing she was here, and that they could talk again, it filled her with this overwhelming elation. A part of her mind warned her not to get carried away by it, but she felt she could ignore it, for now.

They walked through the house, passing through the living room and down the hall to Konata's room. The heavy press of nostalgia presented itself on Kagami's mind, reminding her of the multitude of times she had been down this hallway, just to spend time with Konata. It was almost like every other time, until they passed the door to Yutaka's room.

A highly acidic smell came from under the door, making Kagami stop mid stride. She looked at the door worriedly. "Is Yutaka okay?"

Konata glanced at the door and was about to answer when they both cringed at the sound of something wet splattering on the floor. The otaku had one eye closed as she grimaced at the noise. "S-she's been sick. Minami has been in there taking care of her all morning, wearing one of those doctor's masks."

Kagami nodded. The little girl had been so healthy a couple days ago when she showed up to the party. It was amazing how fragile her health seemed at some points. She left the sick girl and her nurse in peace, continuing with Konata to her room.

The room was shockingly spotless. The old piles of manga and magazines, which Soujirou had left, were now put up and away on the bookshelves. Organized even. Konata noticed the taller girl's shock. "I, uh, well, felt I needed more room. Easier to move around without these covering the floor, right?"

Kagami nodded, a bit surprised at the change from her friend, no matter how small it would've seemed to most. Konata sat down on her bed and pat the spot next to her. "C'mon Kagamin. I wanna hear what a year without me is like."

She did as asked, sitting right next to the little girl. Before she said anything though, her arms wrapped around the blunette, holding her close. "I never want to go through it again," Kagami whispered.

Konata chuckled, patting her friend's back. "Now now. Be careful, or your dere dere side will get all over me."

~o0o~

Patiently she listened to everything Kagami told her, even tearing up when she was told about the service held for her. When her friend had finished the story, there were tears misting up her green eyes, but she smiled. "T-thank you, Kagamin. That kind of helped me believe... this year wasn't a joke. I was gone..."

She stood and walked over to her computer desk, pulling something from her desk. "These did, too."

Konata was holding up her cell phone, then one she almost never had with her. Kagami's cheeks turned a deep red looking at it. She knew what Konata was referring to. Holidays, birthdays, days when she was at rock bottom of her depression. Every one was marked by a text on that phone. "I... That's... I didn't even think they went through..."

The shorter girl made a kind of shushing noise before hugging her friend. "Dad kind of kept paying the bill. It's been dead most of the time, but I read them all. The date of every one. Thanks for trying, Kagamin."

Kagami could do little more than whimper, nodding her head in appreciation of Konata's understanding. "Just, please," she whispered. "Never leave me... Never leave us again like that."

The response she got was just a tighter hug. This satisfied her though. Just the fact that she was in contact with Konata now was enough for her frayed mind.

Their comforting session was ended by a knocking at the front door. Kagami knew what it meant: classes were over, and Tsukasa was there. Kagami went to the door and let her twin in. Tsukasa gave her greeting to Konata, along with a hug of her own.

"So sorry I couldn't come earlier," she started, but Konata waved her hand.

"It's fine. Kagami told me all about how you're going to become a big chef." That statement made Tsukasa blush and fidget, muttering a bit about how she wasn't that great. Konata got a chuckle out of the girl's timidness in the face of praise.

Kagami spoke up, getting the others' attention. "I know Tsukasa just got here, but why don't we go out to eat or something? We can even get Miyuki on the way if she isn't busy."

~o0o~

The four girls, finally reunited, sat on the steel-wrought chairs of a Parisian style café. Condensation had pooled at the bottom of all their drinks as Miyuki and Tsukasa took their time to tell their sides of the "Missing Year" to Konata. She smiled the whole way through, nodding and laughing at intervals that seemed to call for it. Tsukasa was just finishing up. "I actually thought about you the day before you came back. This middle school girl and I talked about _Strawberry Panic_ on a train ride home..."

Konata was snickering at that, covering her mouth as it made its mischievous cat-grin. "I'm sure any guy near you appreciated hearing two young girls chatting about girl's love."

In a few seconds the chef-in-training's face had gone a rosy pink. "I... Well, it's not like I'm that way... I just read it when we were hanging out in your room sometimes..."

Miyuki couldn't help from holding back a chuckle at her flustered friend, but gave a bit of reassurance. "I'm fairly certain Konata is teasing you, right?"

Konata nodded, her ahoage bobbing in double agreement with the statement. Kagami huffed a sigh at her and rolled her eyes. "Honestly Konata. Our first real time talking with you since you've come back, and you just had to embarrass Tsukasa. You seriously haven't changed one bit."

"It's not like she's crying or anything, unlike a certain someone..." The blue-haired girl's voice trailed off when she saw her comment's target's shoulders start to tremble. She ducked the moment Kagami's eye twitched and just barely avoided an empty soda can flying over her head.

"THAT WAS PRIVATE YOU IDIOT!" A few people looked over at the table to see the source of the outburst. Kagami looked around and noticed she was making a scene, coughed a few times and apologized to the whole of the café. Her own table was all giggling once she sat down.

"And you say I haven't changed, Kagamin," Konata chided her. Kagami looked away, hiding the angry blush that shaded her cheeks. Miyuki looked around the table, then cleared her throat in an attempt to break the slight awkwardness that was between them at the moment.

"It seems with Kagami throwing her container and everyone else having finished their drinks that we're done here." Everyone was silent at her statement of the obvious for a moment, then the giggling restarted, Kagami joining them this time. When the girls had stopped to catch her breath, Miyuki stood and picked up the bill, walking into the shop. The other waited at the door until she came back out and started to walk down the street together.

Something felt missing though. This section of the city had a few game and manga shops. And each was passed without a sound. No break to try and peel the otaku from the window, or drag her bodily from the store. In fact, Kagami was almost certain her friend didn't even give them passing glances.

"Konata, are you not feeling well?" Kagami couldn't hold it in after they had passed the fourth shop of its like. Konata blinked.

"Why, Kagamin?"

"Well... Don't you want to look at the games and stuff? You missed a lot and..." She quieted when she realized Miyuki and Tsukasa were looking at her, a bit worried. The shorter girl shook her head, looking a bit saddened.

"I have the internet to check stuff like that. I don't want to take up the time I spend with my friends. I... I kinda thought you would get mad if I did..." Konata's tone was subdued, just a couple ranks above a whisper. It almost broke the lilac-haired girl's heart to see the high energy Konata talk like this. She felt like she had insulted her.

"Sorry," she mumbled, looking down as she started to move forward once more. She felt a tugging on each arm stopping her. Konata was on her left, Tsukasa to the right, both with a hand on her shoulder.

"Onee-chan," Tsukasa said gently, letting go and patting her sister's shoulder. "Calm down a little. You made a mistake, and Konata is fine. Right?"

She looked over to the blue haired girl, who nodded and flashed a smile to her upset friend. "Let's just keep walking. Okay?"

~o0o~

After some consoling and more fresh air, Kagami was back in the right state of mind. Old jokes revived making them double over. Reminiscing about school. It seemed almost like Konata had not left.

She did force one stop, though. It nearly caught the others off guard when she had suddenly stopped before an antique bookstore, her eyes sparkling at all of the leatherbound books inside. She ran through the door, making Kagami yelp in surprise as her and the others chased her in. In a blink the freakishly athletic girl was gone, and the three were left wandering.

From outside, the shop had seemed small. A quaint store, like most in the area. It was almost equal to a real library on the inside, though. It had been obvious remodeling had to be done for the dimensions, with the back wall extending to where most other shops would keep back stock. It also had a second floor, similarly modified. Konata's quick footsteps could be heard echoing through the store, but none of the three could pinpoint where they originated.

Kagami gave in to Konata's flight of fancy quickly and began perusing the shelves.

Surprisingly, she couldn't read most of the spines. Latin phrases in western print, such as _Libris Mortis_, adorned the shelves. The meaning was lost on her and even Miyuki as they wandered. Browsing would've been her first action in such a situation, but something in her mind forbid her from touching the books.

"Kagamin!" Konata's voice rained down from above. They looked up to see their friend leaning over a railing and waving a book above her head. The tome looked worn and ragged. It wasn't a far guess to say that it had seen better days. A really long time ago. Konata disappeared again, presumably to run down the stairs to meet back up with her abandoned friends, book held tightly to her chest.

"Konata, what just happened? You could've given us a warning. Tell us you wanted to go in. Something." Kagami sighed, then calmed down when she noticed the look of ecstatic happiness on her friend's face. "Ummm... what is that?"

Konata started humming as she walked for the front counter. "Dad has been looking for a book for a while to help him with his work. I'm hoping he didn't find it while I was gone, because this is an original!"

Kagami looked to Myuki, who wore a similarly troubled expression. "Izumi-san. The chances of an original copy of an old Western book in Japan is slim at best. At worst, it's more expensive than you can afford."

Konata waved off their genius friend's warning, setting the book down at the counter. Kagami nearly jumped when she noticed someone there for the first time since walking in. A woman, only several years older than them it seemed, with long, pink hair the same shade as Yutaka's held back by a bunny rabbit clip. She wore a small pair of glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose alone.

"I heard you over there," she spoke sweetly to Konata. "If it's a gift, then by all means, it's yours."

Kagami went slack jawed, staring for a moment as Konata cheered and picked the book back up. The book, if it were authentic, looked like it could be worth hundreds of thousands. And Konata seemed to manage almost effortlessly walk out the store with it. Tsukasa practically unfazed in comparison.

"Wow Kona-chan! That was so nice of her," she said excitedly as they left the store. Konata held the book closely to herself and smiled, nodding back at the twin.

"I don't know if dad will like that I got it for free, but it should make him happy to have it still." The short girl started to hum again as they headed for the station. Time was lost in the bookstore, the sky having turned the pinks and purples of sunset.

~o0o~

At the door of Konata's home, the girls talked about the day and made plans to meet again soon. Their chatter was briefly interrupted as Minami left. She was silent as usual, though was very pale and covered in a cold sweat that sucked the heat from around her. A chill ran up Kagami's spine when she noticed a blank, thousand yard stare in the stoic girl's eyes. She said nothing, even of Yutaka's condition, as she shambled on. Once the uneasiness of her presence had passed, Tuskasa and Kagami turned to leave, the stars starting to shine above.

"Kagami," Konata said, surprising her friend. She turned around and was nearly winded when Konata slammed into her. She was about to push her off, but instead felt the heat rise in her face as the blunette nestled her face into her chest. The book was sandwiched between them, making it slightly hard to breathe as Konata looked up at her. The stars and all beyond were reflected in her eyes, stifling any protest Kagami was about to voice as she stared down into an emerald infinity. Quietly, Konata whispered.

"I'll need your help, Kagamin. You're the only one I can really relate to now. So please, can you help me?"

Kagami couldn't know what to say to that, and was only further struck dumbfounded by Konata's next action. She stretched on her toes and kissed the tsundere on the cheek. She didn't even hear Tsukasa's gasp as Konata whispered again.

"You're all I have. My world is madness right now, and you're the only other one that knows what it's like."

Author's Notes: Uhhh... I'm back?


	3. Black and White

**Return From The Waves**

**Chapter 3: Black and White**

"_Grief stricken family watches on ceaseless prayers for an only son__  
__"I'm afraid that nothing can be done" the moment has finally come__  
T__he wrath of a god exemplified, to the pearly gates he'll soon arrive, to leave here his husk__  
I__n this room of white, I'm quivering at the thought"_

_-Virally Yours, The Black Dahlia Murder_

The glare of florescent lighting only amplified the clinical cleanliness of the hospital's hallway. The only color existing in such a barren and cold environment was the clothing of the four families lined against the wall. Each face pale and sullen with a look of helpless grief. One sound broke the oppressive silence.

It was not the first time, nor would it be the last that such a sound would interrupt the stranglehold that depression held over the group. On the far right end of the line, Minami sobbed heavily. A symbol of self control and maturity broken as she heaved to catch another breath of air. Her eyes ringed with red, tears dropping to the floor in a soft, rhythmic pitter-patter.

"I... I should've... she..." She could only manage to squeak that much past the lump in her throat before she relapsed into another fit of pained whimpers. Everyone else could only watch as she personified their collective sadness. Kagami looked away, though.

She sat beside Konata, a couple seats down from the grief-stricken junior. Though Minami was the only one verbal in her heartbreak, she was not the only one crying. Tears streaked down the blue-haired girl's cheeks as she stared blankly at the floor, Kagami's hand rubbing her back and shoulderblades in an attempt to transfer comfort to her friend. But the elder Hiiragi twin could not watch any of it; instead she chose to focus her attention on a point on the wall opposite them.

She felt broken. No tears ran, no upwelling of sadness. No regret for being blank in such a hard time for everyone.

She only just barely registered that the heavy steel door of the patient room had opened, creaking on its hinges. Through Konata's back she felt a sharp intake of breath before Minami stood, almost toppling her chair over. In a second she was in front of the doctor, each hand balled up in the fabric of his coat.

"D-doc... doctor... Tell m-me! Tell me what it is," her voice started in a quavering tone and built to a roar by the end, her face contorted in rage as she spit the last few words like venom. "What's wrong with Yutaka!?"

To everyone watching, Iwasaki's body was there, but who she once was had left long ago, replaced by a beast of emotion that was currently pounding her fists onto the chest of the doctor as he stood silent, his eyes downcast.

With no response, she eventually collapsed on the floor, reduced to a sobbing mess once more. After a moment more, Soujirou stood up, clearing his throat. "Please doctor, we would want to know how our little Yutaka is..."

Slowly the doctor shook his head and pulled away the medical mask from his mouth so he could speak more clearly. "We... we aren't really sure right now. Right now we've got her to sleep with the help of some tranquilizers, so her vomiting has ended. What she was throwing up is another question entirely. Nothing in the body should be able to make it come up black unless she was rotting on the inside..."

Worried glances were shared between the friends and family before a hand was raised to calm and gain their attention once more.

"We already did a check. Everything inside her is fine and in working order. That's why this is such a mystery to us. Our records show that Yutaka has been susceptible to sickness for a while now. With your permission, Mister Izumi, we'd like to keep her here to monitor and run tests."

"I... Yes. That's fine." Soujirou's shoulders fell as he reached into his pocket. "Should probably let her mother know what's going on."

The older man walked away as he put the phone to his ear, leaving the rest to sit in the cold metal chairs. The doctor looked them over, looking to share in their grief, though really was just a part of his training. After a second, he spoke up. "I would invite you to see her-"

He was cut off as Minami shot past him, but her effort to see her best friend was cut short by a nurse in the doorway. The mint-haired girl struggled against the woman for a moment before falling limp in her arms, panting heavily as the crying and sudden burst of energy took a toll on her breathing.

Kagami stared intently at the whole scene, seeing herself in the usually quiet girl as she tried to go after Konata just a year ago. The helplessness and despair of being denied of a friend. She could almost hear the sounds of the ocean, the smell of salt air, and in one brief second, she saw herself right where Minami stood. Her spacing passed as the doctor started to speak again.

"As I was saying, I would invite you, but because we have no idea what is wrong with her, we will be taking precautionary quarantine protocols to make sure that if it is viral that it doesn't infect others. I'm sorry, but this is necessary."

The last word echoed in Kagami's ears. Once it had cleared, an uneasiness settled over her. Something had disappeared. Something vital. Instantly her mind went into overdrive, seeking out what it needed. Her eyes began sweeping back and forth down the hall, her ears perked for any sound that was out of place.

Hairs stood on the back of her neck when she figured it out, and internally she screamed, coming up with every logical reason of why she heard nothing at all. Konata's short but steady breathing had stopped. No more of Minami's tears seemed to be hitting the floor. Even the far off cries of children and coughing of the sick had ceased. Panic set in on Kagami, pushing on her chest.

The gray she noticed next, another kind of shock entirely. The walls, the floor, the light. Everyone that sat on either side of her was washed in an ethereal grayscale, even the vibrant blue of her friend's hair had gone a neutral tone. Kagami lurched forward from her seat at the surprise, only to have her face meet the cold floor.

Dazed by the blunt force of her fall, she looked back to see Konata's leg stuck out in front of hers. It was frozen in place like a statue. Kagami gasped and drew in the still air as she shook her leg away from her friends and backed up to the opposite wall. Everything was frozen in place. She could even make out as a droplet of Minami's tears got stuck on its path towards the ground.

Something snapped in Kagami and she screamed. A piercing screech that shattered the unnatural silence and echoed about her, amplifying the blood curdling effect her fear had placed into the noise. She carried on, the scream lasting as long as her lungs would hold out before she started to choke on the lack of air. Coughing and spitting, she panted heavily while supporting herself weakly with her forearms, staring into the blank tile. Once strength was restored she crawled away from the once living statues, whimpering in fright.

_ 'I... I'm just imagining things. I'm already clinically crazy. I'm just having an episode. Or I'm dreaming. That's it! I'm dreaming! Any moment now, I'll wake up, and Tsukasa will be standing over me like she always does, looking at me all worried. And... And Konata won't be back...'_

A tear rolled down her cheek at the thought as she stood, patting herself off. She looked at the row of people sitting and jumped. Their heads had moved, though she hadn't seen it happen. She followed the row of gazes to the door of Yutaka's room. The interior had vanished, leaving a rectangle of pure black in the doorway.

Before the girl could react to such an anomaly, tendrils made of the void crept out of the null space. Made of shadow and blackness, the phantom mass wrapped around the doctor, nurse, and Minami. With a hard yank on the immobile victims, several sickening cracks could be heard echoing in the hall, making Kagami cringe. When she opened her eyes, she saw the foot of her young friend slide into the abyss. No demonic growl of hunger, or visceral sounds of bodies being torn asunder. Just like that, three people gone in total silence.

Kagami's legs trembled, but slowly started to move backwards. Away from the darkness. Primordial, animal, basic instinct, buried deep within her brain, was working overtime to keep her from obvious danger. Though her body was slow, it did comply as well as it could, slowly turning around to face away, down the hall. To safety.

Every patient door in that direction was closed, and nobody, staff, patient, or visitor, occupied her path of escape. She stumbled down the hall sluggishly. Like dreams before, where trying to run had been like trying to walk on the bottom of a pool, meeting invisible resistance. She made it a good thirty meters before another sound stirred the air and made her stand straight. Hair and flesh raised in goosebumps all along her body as a wet slopping noise hit the floor behind her.

_Thwock!_

Kagami took off, the slowing effect evaporating. She quickly thanked herself for wearing flats as her feet pounded along the tile, putting as much distance between herself and the noise as she could manage within the rush of adrenaline. The hall melted into a blur as she reached desperation speed, but still the sound pursued her.

_Thwock!_

In a flash, then end of the hall revealed itself in the form of an elevator, the stainless steel doors still shining even in a monochrome world. Kagami nearly slammed into them as she skidded to a halt before the doors, tapping on the down button as quickly as she could manage. Nothing came of it. Like bunker doors before the apocalypse, the elevator remained closed to the girl.

_Thwock!_

She cast her glance aside for a moment and found her next best option. An open doorway to stairs. She dived for them, not wanting to chance a peek at whatever pursued her. A risky move as she toppled down the first set of steps, her back hitting the wall opposite the door. Light flashed across her vision, but self preservation cleared it away quickly. The stairwell was dark, but after returning to her feet, Kagami was able to navigate them without any more injury. Halfway to the ground floor, she estimated, the noise returned.

_Thwock-ock-OCK!_

Kagami missed a step when she realized what that noise meant. Whatever it was paid no heed and willingly threw itself down the stairs to pursue her. Her ankle twisted painfully and she gasped in surprised, but limped forward. Distance was to be maintained at all cost. But racing something that didn't care, or, didn't have to care about its body felt futile. Breath was short, energy was low, and will was weak, and still it came for her.

_Thwock-ock-OCK!_

Another floor down, and she started to time when she'd hear its body smack down to another landing. It was about two floors behind, and gaining. She glanced over the side of the rail. Through the darkness, with some adjustment by her eyes, she could see the bottom. A door stood ajar, light filtering in, calling her to safety.

_'It's so close... All I have to do is reach the bottom. Just... get down there... Fast.'_ Kagami shook her head and jumped back when she noticed one leg was already over the side, ready to drop down. Down four more floors. She gulped past a lump in her throat, at the thought that she almost jumped without a second though.

_Thwock-ock-OCK!_

She was off and running again, the sound far too close for any kind of comfort. Though at any distance, it was a sound that she would rather never hear again. A final push of energy, her second wind, though weak, carried her to the bottom. Sprinting through the doorway, a chill shock ran up her spinal column when she heard it.

_THWOCK!_

It had done what she had almost done herself, and fallen straight to the bottom, making the ground shudder beneath her feet as it impacted the solid tile floor. She quickly grabbed the edge of the door and slammed it with all her might behind her. The door clicked. For a moment after, all was silent. The only sound to Kagami was her gasping as her lungs tried to recover from the stress. Shakily, she leaned her back on the door and slid down to the floor, knees drawn to her chest.

Once the gasping was done, crying took its place. Long, drawn out wails into the empty, echoing hospital halls, coming back to their point of origin. The girl paid no mind. Any sound was more comforting at this moment then the sick flopping of her inhuman pursuer. As she cried, her limbs became lead, far past the stage acting like boiled noodles. Her arms fell helplessly to her sides while her legs splayed out before her. Her mind was scattered into a million pieces, unable to think of some solution to her problem. Parts told her to run. Others whispered of the futility. Eventually it'd catch her, they assured her. The remainder told her to embrace it. Take the easy way. To fall before her pursuer. The final thought was a seductive lie to herself, touching her core in how simple it sounded.

_"Why am I so fucked up?!"_

The question erupted from deep inside her, tearing her throat to shreds as she spit it into the air with as much force as possible. That seemed to be a signal, for something threw itself at the door Kagami rested against. The force was so great it threw her a meter ahead and made her scream in shock. Her body was still useless. She whimpered, knowing it was the end of the line for her. The door held, but barely as it was bombarded with heavy blows from the monster.

Yes. Monster. Kagami had no other words for something so not-human. Nothing else could explain it. It was a monster. One she had created. Her insanity made manifest, hunting her down to destroy what remained of her humanity. What she fought so hard to keep after Konata had disappeared.

A pause between slams gave her a moment of clarity. _'I've fought this long. I will keep fighting. I've reached the bottom, and it can't get any worse if I just fight more.'_

She stood, renewed, and faced the door, barely holding on by its hinges. She took a deep breath. "You hear me?! I am going to fight, no matter what! I don't care what you are!"

With a final bang, the door fell, clattering loudly before her feet. She was ready to swing, to attack whatever came at her with as much force as she could muster. But the fight never came. What stood on the other side made the girl drop on the spot, rapidly losing consciousness as her mind snapped.

Konata walked up to the prone twin, shaking her head while looking down at her friend with sad eyes. In one arm, she held Yutaka. At least, a thing that possessed the body of the frail girl. Her features were warped, her face twisted in an expression caught between a moment of intense agony and a plead to be freed. Her limbs were gone, replaced by tendrils of bubbling, pulsing ichor. Eyes surfaced, glared at Kagami, and disappeared back into the depths of madness.

"Poor Kagamin," the short girl whispered, stroking the thing that she held like a baby. "She thinks she knows what she's dealing with. Powers are at play, mortal. Ones that filthy human minds like yours will fall before."

She leaned over and kissed Kagami on the lips. "But you will know joy before you are ended. I can promise you that small comfort."

~o0o~

"-agami! KAGAMI!"

_'Tsukasa? S-so it was a dream...'_ Kagami groaned, sitting up in the bed. She went to open her eyes, but cringed as bright light assaulted her pupils. She yelped and pulled a sheet over her face. A sheet that didn't belong to her. Now properly shielded, she opened her eyes again. Starch white greeted her vision.

"H-huh?" She lowered the sheet and got bearing of her surrounding. She was laying in a hospital bed. One that was part of a row of four. On one side was Minami, curled on her side and eyes wide open, focused on... nothing. Just staring into endless empty space. On her other side, the doctor and the nurse, who had apparently passed out. Both wore looks of deep concern and fear, even in sleep. Their foreheads were beaded in sweat, and every so often, their limbs twitched.

Several pairs of arms wrapped around the girl as she sat up straight. Mother, father, sisters, friends. All crying as they held on to Kagami. She looked at all of them a bit strangely, then managed to find her voice. "What the hell is going on?"

Tsukasa answered, the only one even attempting to talk as everyone else just seemed too overwhelmed by a powerful cocktail of sorrow shot through with some relief at one person's revival. "Y-you all passed out... at the same time... T-then Yu-chan... she woke up. She started yelling stuff no one understood and began to..." The young twin gagged, clearly not wanting to finish her story. She swallowed hard, Kagami able to hear as she gulped air past the lump of bile in her throat.

"S-she s-started to... to throw up. The b-black stuff... They took her, Onee-chan... They took her to another room and won't let us see her..." Tears welled up and spilled forth, creating warm outlines on Tsukasa's cheek. Kagami could only stare in blank befuddlement.

_What can I do?_ The question resounded in her head. She couldn't bring herself to say it. As everyone latched to her, a supporting pillar of emotion, she was completely stumped on what her purpose there was. She couldn't get Yutaka back, or bring the others out of their nightmares. She was just the first awake.

**To Be Continued...**

Author's Notes – I plan to write another chapter very quickly after this one. The end to even me is a terrible cliffhanger but I feel I can't progress past a part like that in the same chapter. Big thanks to Tastychainsaws for helping clear up a few parts, pretty much acting as my editor for this chapter as I know my other friend Solar is currently going through a rough patch. Lovecraft, BDM, you know the good stuff.


End file.
